Lester Public Library Foundation recipient of grant to implement StoryWalks® & transform city park
Lester Public Library Foundation is the recipient of the West Foundation’s $50,000 Directors’ Choice Imagining Grant as “a non-profit agency that designs a program or service focused on the arts, culture, or environment in Manitowoc County.”
The submission detailed a project to promote early literacy and environmental awareness in partnership with the City of Two Rivers Parks & Recreation Department and Woodland Dunes Nature Center & Preserve. That project now becomes a reality, and implementation begins this summer.
StoryWalks® are to be erected along the library path and in Zander Park. Grant funds will be used to not only erect the StoryWalk® structures, but to restore a large portion of Zander Park to the wetland it once was, with a raised boardwalk and natural play features added.
StoryWalk® is a way for children and adults to enjoy reading and being outdoors. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. Laminated pages from a children’s book are attached to structures posted at regular intervals. As readers stroll a path, they are directed to the next page. Pages often contain activities that reinforce development of early literacy skills.
Lester Public Library’s youth staff will choose and prepare the eight stories to be displayed each year. Parks & Recreation director Mike Mathis has plans in place for the Zander Park improvement which highlight the StoryWalk® as well as the ecological significance of the property. Staff from Woodland Dunes will assist with the entire process. Not only a wealth of knowledge in wetland restoration, they are an excellent resource for the seeds and plantings that will enhance the park. The city’s Public Works Department will perform infrastructural work. And Two Rivers High School’s Raider Manufacturing Technology Education class is designing and creating the Zander Park entrance sign.
When all is in place, simultaneous launch parties will be held on the library grounds and at the park. Families will receive copies of the featured books to add to their home libraries. We hope to make the Lester Public Library and Zander Park StoryWalks® destinations for residents and visitors. The community project will offer a free, accessible way to stimulate literacy and learning outdoors as families cultivate appreciation for the natural beauty surrounding them.
